Tobacco smoking article



July 7, 1956 E. v. STATIA, sR

TOBACCO SMOKING ARTICLE Filed Aug. 17, 1953 INVENTOR. Z c/zM/P 745% 77a57:

flag/5 United States Patent TOBACCO SMOKING ARTICLE Edwin V. Statia,Sr., Detroit, Mich., assignor of one-half to Edward L. Chapman, Detroit,Mich.

Application August 17, 1953, Serial No. 374,486

2 Claims. (Cl. 131-10) This invention relates to tobacco smokingarticles and, in particular, to means for neutralizing or absorbing theharmful ingredients in tobacco smoke.

One object of this invention is to provide a tobacco smoking article,such as a cigar or cigarette, equipped with a rupturable capsulecontaining a neutralizing sub stance for the harmful ingredients intobacco smoke.

Another object is to provide a tobacco smoking article, such as a cigaror cigarette, of the foregoing character, wherein the capsule ofneutralizing substance is ruptured by the user merely squeezing the buttof the article in which the capsule is embedded, thereby rupturing thecapsule and releasing the substance, which in turn moistens the tobaccoor absorbent filtering material adjacent the mouth with the neutralizingsubstance.

Another object is to provide a tobacco smoking article of the foregoingcharacter wherein the capsule has weakened portions in its wall thereoffor facilitating the rupturing thereof.

Another object is to provide a tobacco smoking article of the foregoingcharacter wherein the capsule is mounted in a portion of filteringmaterial, such as a cartridge or plug of cotton or the like mountedrearwardly of the tobacco, so that the neutralizing substance moistensthe filtering material interposed between the smokers mouth and thetobacco.

Another object is to provide a cigar or cigarette holder having aportion of filtering material, such as a cartridge or plug of cotton, inwhich is mounted a rupturable capsule containing the foregoingneutralizing substance so that the protection can be obtained eventhough using conventional cigars or cigarettes lacking the built-incapsules.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course ofthe following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section, partly in side elevation,of a tobacco-smoking article, particularly a cigarette, equipped with arupturable capsule containing a neutralizing substance, according to oneform of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1, withthe capsule in elevation; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through a modification of theinvention consisting of a cigar or cigarette holder equipped with aneutralizing capsule and filter, for use with conventional cigars orcigarettes.

It has long been known that tobacco smoke contains ingredients which areharmful to the health of the smoker, such as nicotine, pyridine,picoline, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methyl alcohol and hydrocyanicacid, lutidine, collidine, dimethylpyridine and trimethylpyridine.Attempts to filter out these harmful components of tobacco smoke havehitherto been unsatisfactory other than on a laboratory scale, becauseof the dilficulty of devising an adequate filter and also of making asuitable Patented July 17, 1956 neutralizing substance always availableand in a fresh condition.

The present invention provides means for making the neutralizingsubstance constantly available in a fresh condition by encasing it in aneasily rupturable capsule located in the butt of the tobacco smokingarticle. such as a cigar or cigarette, or in the base of a smokingtobacco holder such as a cigarette or cigar holder. The capsulemaintains the neutralizing substance, such as a liquid, paste or jelly,in a fresh condition over an indefinite period of time, because it isthus kept sealed 011 from the atmosphere yet it is instantly and easilybrought into action by squeezing the portion of the article or devicecontaining the capsule in order to rupture the capsule and distributethe neutralizing material in the path through which the tobacco smokemust pass in order to reach the mouth of the smoker. The neutralizingsubstance by chemical action attacks the harmful ingredients of thetobacco smoke and converts them to harmless chemical compounds, therebypreventing them from reaching the smokers mouth and lungs.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 shows a tobacco smokingarticle, generally designated 10, shown for purposes of example as acigarette equipped with a rupturable capsule, generally designated 12,containing a neutralizing fluid substance in the form of a liquid, pasteor jelly 14. This, when released, passes into and moistens a charge,cartridge or plug 16 of filtering material, such as cotton battinginserted in the rearward portion or butt 18 of the article 10 andencased in a tubular liner 26 of thin cardboard or other suitableflexible stiffening material for the ordinary cigarette paper wrapper 22in which the tobacco 24 is rolled. The capsule 12 is spaced from thesides and from the front and rear ends of the filter body 16.

The capsule 12 may be of any suitable material, such as gelatine, orpolyethylene plastic, natural or synthetic rubber or a material havingsimilar flexible yet rupturable properties. In order to increase theease of rupturing the capsule 12, it is optionally provided withweakened portions or indentations 26 by thinning the wall 28 of thecapsule. The indentations 26 are shown as dimples but may be otherwiseshaped, and may be directed toward the portion of the filtering material16 which it is desired to moisten with the neutralizing substance 14.

The neutralizing substance 14 within the capsule 12 may consist of anorganic acid such as tannic acid, tartaric acid or citric acid, ferroussulfate, ferric chloride, ferrous tartrate, or the double sulfate offerrous oxide and ammonia, or similar salts of the iron group, namelysalts of iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt with mineral acids Such ashydrochloride or sulfuric acids or with organic acids such as tartaricor citric acid.

In the use of the invention, let it be assumed that the tobacco smokingarticle 10, such as a cigar or cigarette, is manufactured with thecapsule 12 contained in the butt thereof in the filtering charge. Priorto lighting the cigarette, the user places the butt thereof between histhumb and forefinger and squeezes it so as to compress the wrapper andtube 20, squeezing the capsule 12 so that it ruptures or breaks. Suchrupture or breakage permits the neutralizing substance 14 to spurt outinto the ical action which converts their harmful ingredients toharmless materials which are either absorbed in the filtering charge 16or passed harmlessly into the smokers mouth. Thus, the present inventionprotects the health of the smoker by shielding his mouth and lungs fromthe above-mentioned harmful ingredients.

The modification of the invention shown in Figure 3 consists of aneutralizing holder, generally designated 30, adapted to receive aconventional tobacco-smoking article 32, such as a cigarette or cigarhaving the usual wrapper 34 containing tobacco 36. The holder 30consists of a cylindrical or tubular portion 38 having a bore 40 intowhich the article 32 is inserted, and also having a charge 42 offiltering material similar to the filtering material 16 of Figure l andsimilarly containing a rupturable capsule 44 with weakening portions 46in the side wall 48 thereof. The capsule 44 in turn containsneutralizing material 50 in the form of liquid, paste or jelly, the sameas the neutralizing substance 14 described above.

The holder 30 is preferably made of a flexible or squeezable materialsuch as polyethylene plastic so as to permit the tubular portion or sidewall 33 thereof to be collapsed by squeezing, in order to rupture thecapsule 44. The holder 30 is provided with an end wall 52 from which amouthpiece 54 containing a smoke passageway 56 projects rearwardly tothe rearward end 58 thereof.

The operation of the modification of Figure 3 is simi lar in principleto that of the form of the invention shown in Figure l. The holders 30are preferably sold separately from the cigarettes or cigars 32, and thelatter inserted in the bore 40 of the former when smoking is tocommence. Before lighting the cigar or cigarette 32, the user holds thetubular portion 38 outwardly of the capsule 44 between his thumb andforefinger and squeezes upon it, rupturing the capsule 44 and causingthe neutralizing liquid, paste or jelly 50 to permeate the filteringcharge 42 as before and thereby neutralize the harmful ingredients inthe tobacco smoke when the smoker draws the smoke through the filteringcharge 42 during smoking.

It will be evident from Figures 3 that the holder 30 may consist of thestem of any type of smoking device, the stem being of flexible orcollapsible material in order to enable rupturing the capsule 44 in theabove-described manner.

It will also be evident from Figure 3 that the cartridge, generallydesignated 60, comprising the assembly consisting of the plug 42 ofabsorbent or filtering material containing the rupturable capsule 44with its harmful ingredient neutralizing fluid 50, may be sold as a unitseparate from the holder 30 and inserted by the smoker in his owncigarette or cigar holder. In such instance, the smoker preferablysqueezes the cartridge 60 to rupture the capsule 44 and then instantlypushes it into the holder before the cartridge can expand by itsabsorption of the neutralizing liquid 50. The cartridge, for example,can be pushed into the holder by means of a pencil or by the cigaretteitself, while it is being inserted after the insertion of the cartridge60. After the cartridge has been used sufficiently to require renewal,it is easily removed from the holder by means of a penknife, hairpin,bobby pin, match, toothpick or any other similar implement.

From Figure 1 it will be seen that the wrapper 22 and liner 20 arepreferably extended rearwardly of the filtering charge, cartridge orplug 16 a suflicient distance to prevent the tongue from contacting thefiltering material. 111 this manner, the smoker avoids any unpleasant orunfamiliar taste which might otherwise be associated with or arise fromthe neutralizing substance which moistens the filtering material 16.

What I claim is:

l. A tobacco smoking article having means therein for neutralizing theharmful ingredients of tobacco smoke, said article comprising a wrapper,an elongated mass of tobacco arranged in closely packed form in saidwrapper and having a forward end adapted to be ignited and a rearwardend, a filter body of absorbent material disposed adjacent said rearwardend, a flexible tubular tember enclosing said filter body, a collapsiblehollow capsule disposed within said filter body at a location spacedfrom the sides and from the front and rear ends of the filter body, saidcapsule having a wall sufliciently weak to be rupturable in response tothe application of finger pressure thereto, and a neutralizing fluid forharmful tobacco smoke ingredients disposed within said capsule wherebythe user by squeezing the tubular member and the portion of said filterbody containing said collapsible capsule causes breakage thereof andejection of said neutralizing fluid into the absorbent material withconsequent diffusion of said fluid through said absorbent material.

2. A tobacco smoking holder having means therein for neutralizing theharmful ingredients of tobacco smoke, said holder comprising a flexibletubular member having a socket therein configured to receive therearward end of an elongated roll of tobacco, a mouthpiece extendingrearwardly from said tubular member and hav' ing a smoke passagewaytherethrough, a filter body of absorbent material disposed in saidtubular member at the rear end of said socket, a collapsible hollowcapsule disposed within said filter body at a location spaced from thesides and from the front and rear ends of the filter body, said capsulehaving a wall sufficiently weak to be rupturable in response to theapplication of finger pressure thereto, and a neutralizing fluid forharmful tobacco smoke ingredients disposed within said capsule, wherebythe user by squeezing the tubular member and the portion of said filterbody contairning said collapsible capsule causes breakage thereof andejection of said neutralizing fluid into the absorbent material withconsequent diffusion of said fluid through said absorbent material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS253,296 Kinney Feb. 7, 1882 1,952,352 Banks Mar. 27, 1934 2,401,617Cochran June 4, 1946 2,489,675 Roberts Nov. 29, 1949 2,543,190 MusekampFeb. 27, 1951 2,579,403 Slomowitz Dec. 18, 1951 2,595,606 Pohjola May 6,1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 243,199 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1925 348,974 GreatBritain May 21, 1931

1. A TOBACCO SMOKING ARTICLE HAVING MEANS THEREIN FOR NEUTRALIZING THEHARMFUL INGREDIENTS OF TOBACCO SMOKE, SAID ARTICLE COMPRISING A WRAPPER,AN ELONGATED MASS OF TOBACCO ARRANGED IN CLOSELY PACKED FORM IN SAIDWRAPPER AND HAVING A FORWARD END ADAPTED TO BE IGNITED AND A REARWARDEND, A FILTER BODY OF ABSORBENT MATERIAL DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID REARWARDEND, A FLEXIBLE TUBULAR MEMBER ENCLOSING SAID FILTER BODY, A COLLAPSIBLEHOLLOW CAPSULE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FILTER BODY AT A LOCATION SPACEDFROM THE SIDES AND FROM THE FRONT AND REAR ENDS OF THE FILTER BODY, SAIDCAPSULE HAVING A WALL SUFFICIENTLY WEAK TO BE RUPTURABLE IN RESPONSE TOTHE APPLICATION OF FINGER PRESSURE THERETO, AND A NEUTRALIZING FLUID FORHARMFUL TOBACCO SMOKE INGREDIENTS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CAPSULE WHEREBYTHE USER BY SQUEEZING THE TUBULAR MEMBER AND THE PORTION OF SAID FILTERBODY CONTAINING SAID COLLAPSIBLE CAPSULE CAUSES BREAKAGE THEREOF ANDEJECTION OF SAID NEUTRALIZING FLUID INTO THE ABSORBENT MATERIAL WITHCONSEQUENT DIFFUSION OF SAID FLUID THROUGH SAID ABSORBENT MATERIAL.